Chatham County, NC Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Chatham County, NC, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Irrigation limit
- 1 inch of water per week
- Required equipment
- Automatic controller + moisture sensor
- 1st offense
- Written warning
- 2nd offense
- $250 per occurrence
- 3rd offense
- $500 per occurrence
- 4th offense
- Water service interrupted
- Adopted
- February 7, 2008
Summary
Unincorporated Chatham County caps irrigation at one inch of water per week year-round and requires automatic controllers with moisture sensors on every irrigation system, with a fixed watering day assigned by neighborhood. Violators face a written warning, then escalating fines up to $500, then water shutoff.
(2) All irrigation is limited to one inch per week; (3) Automatic controllers and moisture sensors are required on all irrigation systems; ... (A) Penalties for failing to comply with these requirements are: (1) First offense: written warning; (2) Second offense: a penalty of $250 per occurrence; (3) Third offense: a penalty of $500 per occurrence; and (4) Fourth offense: water service will be interrupted.
Full Breakdown
01 adopts year-round conservation measures to protect the water supply in Jordan Lake and hold down peak-demand treatment costs. 02. The ordinance separately bars wasteful uses: letting sprinklers run onto a neighbor's property or the right-of-way, watering during rainfall or when soil is already saturated, washing vehicles or pavement so water flows off the property, letting water pond on impervious surfaces, and leaving a known plumbing leak unrepaired. Narrow exceptions exist for the first 30 days after new sod or seed is laid, one-day watering after a chemical treatment, dust or soil compaction control, supervised system checks, health and safety hazards, active construction, firefighting and firefighter training, and other special uses where the county decides there is no practical alternative.
The county may declare a water supply shortage or emergency that overrides these year-round rules with tighter restrictions. The measures were adopted February 7, 2008, and apply to every customer on the county water system in the unincorporated area.
Violations & Fines
Section 51.99 sets a graduated penalty ladder billed straight to the customer's water account: a written warning for a first offense, a $250 penalty per occurrence for a second offense, $500 per occurrence for a third, and interruption of water service for a fourth offense. Penalties are added to and collected with the customer's regular monthly water bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I water my lawn in unincorporated Chatham County?
Is there a set watering day for my house?
What happens the first time I violate the watering rules?
Can I water new sod without violating the schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chatham County
How Chatham County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Compare Chatham County to another location·View the North Carolina landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.